Unique  Daughter of a Vampire  Part Three
by Kelleigh Rae
Summary: Norrah has found herself in quite a predicament but help comes along in the nick of time...will she be able to outsmart Katherine and finally find out why she was turned? Why is Katherine so interested in Norrah's ring? Will Damonn finally win her over?
1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

It didn't hurt. I always assumed it would hurt, but rather than pain I just felt empty, just a void where my soul once was. It wasn't really a matter of my not feeling it, for I'm sure that each second was pure agony, I had just lost the ability to care. I had no reason to move, to breathe, to live. This would be my tomb. I was stuck, left to rot like the putrid corpse of the woman that lies just outside the confines of this room. There is no one left to mourn, no eulogy to be read, just solitary and silent hell until one day, with any luck, it will all just end.

My fingers are stiff and rigid, my knees and ankles frozen in place, but it hardly mattered. I felt the film that was building up over my eyes, like diamond scratching glass, each grainy flicker of my eyelids tearing at the delicate orbits beneath. I could probably stop blinking if I tried, it shouldn't matter after all, what was left to see anyhow? I tried to see how long I could force the lids to remain open, closed was too easy, closed was just asleep. What little was left of my human impulse would take over before long and again I'd feel the scratching, digging, boring into my head, the delicate drops of blood rolling down my cheeks, but again, it wasn't pain, at least not in any recognizable sense, merely sensation.

Blood! Sweet salvation! My lust was insatiable, desperation a palpable cord stretched to its breaking point. I could hear it outside the window, pumping through the tiny bodies of birds, taunting me just above on the rooftop, mice and squirrels running haphazardly beneath the floorboards. Had I the strength and my wits about me perhaps I could have broken through the planks to allow the vermin access. Why didn't I think of that before? A quick and easy death for them, unlike that which was afforded me, but right now in my semi-conscious state, just thinking was exhausting.

How long had I been stuck here? Days? Weeks? Had months gone by, perhaps years? How long does it take to mummify? How long before the brain shuts down and one simply ceases to be? Perhaps never; maybe this was death after all, awareness of mind without control of body. A living corpse left to fester for all eternity within one's own mind. The thought was unpleasant though not entirely outside of the scope of reason. Who could really say how long it would last and what I would feel? There wasn't exactly a playbook of rules from which to divine an answer. I was, after all, Unique.


	2. Chapter 1

**First.**

I wasn't completely sure what to make of it at first. I could sense a presence, more than one actually, nearby, before the scent attacked my senses. There was blood, human blood as far as I could tell, somewhere close and headed in my direction. I could feel the transformation, my fangs descending from my pale and atrophied gums, a surge of energy as my arms outstretched, pushing my body weakly up off of the bed. I heard the door of the house creak open, my head snapping to attention. If they called out my name I couldn't hear it over the roaring of my own meager supply of blood coursing through the delicate vessels in my ears. I watched as the shadows in the hallway shifted in the afternoon light, waited until the moment was right and my body reacted, rushing towards them at full force, driven by starvation, betrayal and rage.

My body crashed into the invisible barrier that held me in the room, catapulting me backwards, whipping my head back and knocking me to the floor. I was back on my feet in seconds rushing again at the door. I was rabid; sweat was already starting to form across my forehead, my body trembling with anticipation and desperation. I could see who they were, whose blood was causing me to react so violently, in a way that any other day would have mortified me. A rage that I had not felt since the night I was killed and turned, the night I was denied access to my precious daughter, was causing my blood to boil. I lunged again, stopping short of the barrier with a hiss as I stared them down, fear lighting up both of their eyes and then anger settling into one.

"Bonnie, I think you should probably wait outside," I heard Caroline say as a growl worked its way up into my throat, "I'll calm her down first, then you can work on getting her out."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she responded as she backed down the hallway then ran for the door. My head snapped back towards Caroline standing just out of reach fishing around in her handbag.

"Calm me down? Just who do you think you are anyway?" I snapped at her through clenched teeth. Just as I finished asking she finds what she was looking for, turns to me and produces a bottle of red liquid and cocks her head obnoxiously to the side. I rush one last time towards the door hissing and clawing at my invisible nemesis as Caroline frowns in at me.

"I'll give you this, but only if you promise to calm down," she told me with an authoritative tone. Was she kidding me? I certainly wasn't going to be taking orders from a newborn, but I needed that blood so I forced my face to relax and nodded as she threw the bottle into the room.

I don't think I have ever felt euphoria quite like this before. The instant the blood passed through my lips I could feel my body regenerating, transforming back into the human form it had once held. My joints relaxed, the tight skin across my face and lips regained its elasticity, the monster I had become started to disappear and the fog lifted from my mind. I crushed the bottle in my hand ensuring every last drop was emptied from within it as, at last, the film over my eyes dissolved.

My once again malleable knees gave way and I sank to the floor, my eyes closed, and head fell back against the polished wood, unable to speak. I opened my eyes as Caroline pulled a second bottle from her bag and rolled it in to me. This one I drank slowly, determined to savor it like a fine wine as I glared back out at her, still not certain that I could trust her.

"Wow," she exclaimed, "You really do have a lot of Katherine in you."

"Don't you ever compare me to that bitch," I spat back at her unable to bite back my words, "She is nothing to me, do you understand? Nothing!"

"Fine," she snapped back, "I'm not getting in the middle of family feuds. I'm here to help Bonnie break you out. Stefan figured that you might smell Bonnie's blood and lose control so he sent me with her."

"Why would he think that? I've never lost control like that before. Not since the night I was turned and my husband denied my entrance into my home, denied me the chance to say goodbye to my little girl."

"Well, I guess he just assumed that you would react the same way as your mo…" she stopped short, "as Katherine."

I couldn't believe that I was getting compared to her. My entire life people had told me how different we are, how beautiful she was, how slight her build was, how popular with the men. I was never any of those things. I was plain looking like my father, my body was shorter, round and soft. I had never really known true love, I thought I had with Thomas but it turned out that he was compelled to love me; none of his feelings for me were real. Katherine represented everything that was bad about vampires. She was evil and manipulative with no concern for human life. Was I really so much like her that others could now compare us?

Caroline must have noticed the panic on my face. She rolled her eyes and told me, "You're not like Katherine, okay? As hard as this is for me to say considering that you have tried twice now to rip my head off, you are one of the good ones Norrah." I gave her a weak smile back as we momentarily made eye contact and then turned quickly away. Caroline looked down at the corpse of the woman on the floor. "A friend of yours?" she asked with a hint of sass in her voice as she picked up and examined large piece of wood that I had thrown at Katherine in my fit of rage.

"Not mine, Katherine's. She killed her to send me a message to stay put." I shook my head looking out the small window at the dead grass and dust that seemed to stretch on for miles and sighed. "Okay, so maybe I antagonized her a little, but even if I had figured a way out of this room I have no idea where I am. Wait, how did you and Bonnie find me? Where are we anyway?"

Caroline looked confused as she looked over at the window and then back at me. "We're in the woods just outside of town. It took Bonnie a few days to work out how Katherine's witch was able to spell the cabin so that it was invisible to any supernatural being, and another few to work out a spell to make it visible so we could find you.

I turned to the window expecting an argument, but I didn't see the field or the sky. I saw trees and daylight breaking through the branches, dead leaves carpeting a damp forest floor, a bird swooping down to land on a low hanging branch. What the hell was going on? Where did the trees come from, the moss covered log, the animals scurrying from one tree to another? I knelt on the bed and crawled towards the window placing my hands on the pane, it was cold. It had been warm every time I touched it before now with the scorching sun streaming in.

I pushed the glass and my hand went through, jagged pieces cutting into my skin. I pulled my arm back and stared at the wounds, my jaw felt slack as I turned my arm in repeated semi-circles. I put my face next to the hole in the window and took in a deep breath of fresh air. It felt cool as it hit my lungs. I took in the familiar scent of the damp bark and leaves. We weren't far from town; I had walked through this part of the woods hunting with Stefan.

Bonnie poked her head in the door as Caroline gestured for her to come in. With the fresh air streaming in through the broken glass the stench of the woman's body on the floor became overpowering. Caroline read my mind, she bent down and hefted the limp remains over her shoulder. "She's all yours," she said to Bonnie as she left to dispose of the woman's body. I watched Bonnie move uncomfortably into place in front of the door, a large leather-bound book in her hands. "Emily…" I let the whisper escape my lips as I met Bonnie's eyes. She simply nodded and opened the book on the chair.

"Bonnie, wait," I broke in, "How did this cabin get here? I've been through this part of the woods before, there was nothing here. I had no idea where I was, all I ever saw out the window was a barren field and the sky."

"Katherine really did her homework, she must have been planning it for a long time. Her witch, whoever she is, is incredibly powerful. What do you remember about her?" she asked me.

"Not very much," I told her. "I heard them come in that night, she and Katherine, talking in the other room. I couldn't hear what they were saying. She wasn't feeding me enough so my hearing was limited."

"Do you remember anything about the witch that was with her? Did you see her?"

I thought for a moment, "No, I never saw her, I think Katherine was distracting me while she reinforced the spells on the cabin outside. I remember Lydia telling me about how powerful spells had to be reinforced or sealed with a talisman or else they could be broken."

"Yeah, that's how Emily sealed the vampires in the tomb in 1864, she used an Amber crystal as a talisman. She used me to help her destroy the crystal, sealing them in permanently, at least she thought so," Bonnie explained. "My grams and I were able to combine our power to remove the seal, I was still so new, I wouldn't have been able to do it alone."

"And now, will you be able to get the seal off of this room and get me out of here?" I asked, worry creeping into my voice. I wanted out of here ASAP, before another run-in with Katherine or her witch.

"I don't know for sure, but I'm going to try."

"That's all I can ask," I told her. "Thank you for going to all this trouble for me."

"You're Elena's family, one of the last she has left," she explained, "and we're friends, I couldn't leave you out here alone." She smiled in at me as I smiled back.

"I'm going to try a few things," Bonnie told me, "it might take a while though. The spell that Katherine's witch put on the cabin was strong. I've been able to remove the shield around the house so that we could see it to get in, and the charm that she put on the window. It's been a while since I've taken down a seal and I think it's going to be much harder this time, but I'm going to try." Then she looked down at Emily's grimoire and shut the world out as she concentrated.

Well I don't have anywhere else to be, so take your time, I thought as I sat back down on the bed.


	3. Chapter 2

**Second.**

Caroline had rejoined her in the hallway but since she couldn't talk to Bonnie while she tried to figure out how to get me out Caroline wandered back down the hall. I heard her boots moving through the rooms as I lay back on the bed with my hands over my eyes. After a few minutes I realized that I didn't hear her anymore. I sat back up in the bed.

"Hey Norrah," I heard her call as she stomped back down the hallway and stepped around Bonnie, "is this yours?" She held out my bag as she stepped into the room.

"Caroline, no!" I cried as I jumped up but it was too late, she had crossed into the room. She tossed my bag onto the bed and sat on the edge, crossing her legs.

"No worries," she tells me as she pulls a compact out of her purse and proceeds to touch-up her flawless face, "this seal only applies to you. I overheard Katherine taunting Damon about it a few days ago." At the mention of Damon's name my heart squeezed and I buried my face in my bag in case anyone noticed the color creeping up my neck. I pulled out the clothes I had on the night I was abducted and put them on, thankful to finally escape the large white nightshirt I had been in for at least a week. I fished around in the bag taking inventory. I was missing $40 from my wallet but otherwise everything was there.

"Cheapskate bitch," I muttered under my breath as my fingertips brushed across a chain. I pulled it out of the bag astonished. Reaching up to my neck I could hardly believe that I hadn't noticed it was gone until now. I guess I could forgive myself since I had only been semi-mobile for most of my stay in this hell-hole. The bottles of blood that Katherine had left for me had only lasted a day and a half, I was starving and there was no way to ration them out for longer. I saw that the clasp on my chain was broken, as if it had been ripped from my neck. I didn't doubt that it was. I was able to rig it to stay around my neck; I'd get a new one later.

With Caroline still lounging on the bed I walked over to the doorway to see if Bonnie was making any progress on getting me out. I hovered close to the door watching as Bonnie chanted, I felt a warmth on my chest. I reflexively reached up for my ring but it slid through my hand. I looked down to see the ring and chain glowing and rising away from my shirt and towards the doorway. "Um, Bonnie," I said to her, "You might want to see this."

I watched as her eyes flicked up to my ring which was no longer resting on my shirt, but was now hanging parallel to my chin pointed towards the doorway. I reached around to the back of my neck and undid the clasp. Caroline was next to me now staring at the ring. I felt a slight tug on the chain and I allowed my arms to extend and watched as the ring and chain passed through the doorway, my hands still holding the two ends of the chain. I felt another tug and watched in awe as my hands passed through the door without hitting the barrier.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" I asked never taking my eyes off of the chain.

"I'm not doing anything," she replied, "whatever is happening, it's not me." I dropped one end of the chain, but it didn't fall, just remained suspended in air, glowing. I put my free hand up to the door, but it hit the invisible seal. I looked over at Caroline who was speechless and slack jawed just as Bonnie and I were. I clasped the free end of the chain again and stepped forward. Hitting no resistance I stepped right through the door and stood next to Bonnie. I turned back to the room and the chain went slack, the ring no longer glowed.

I raised my hands up to the door but now couldn't get back in. Caroline grabbed my bag off the bed and walked out of the room. None of us knew what had just happened but I wanted to get out of that house as fast as possible. We all rushed down the hall, past the kitchen and a small breakfast nook. The living/dining room was as barren as the rest of the home, I quickly looked in as we passed, a wooden table and chairs and a rocker in front of a large stone fireplace. The hearth had been swept clean and a neat pile of ash sat in the center. I slowed as we came to the front door, holding my hands in front of me, the chain still dangling from them. I watched as once again it glowed and extended out towards the doorway.

"Wow, she had all of her bases covered," Bonnie commented as we stepped through the door. "I never would have been able to take down both of those seals alone." I turned back towards the cabin but it was gone. "I told you it was heavily spelled," Bonnie said as my eyes darted around searching for the cabin. "It's gone; the spell only lasted as long as you remained in the house, as soon as you stepped out the house was gone." We all took one last look at the spot where the cabin had stood and then turned tail and headed out of the woods.


	4. Chapter 3

**Third.**

We walked to Bonnie's car that was parked near the tree line and headed back to her house. Caroline called Elena as we pulled into the driveway and Bonnie invited me into her house. We sat in the living room waiting for Stefan and Elena to bring me some clean clothes, my phone and my journal. Bonnie offered to let me stay at her house, it was the only one that Katherine wasn't able to access so I'd be safer here than anywhere else. I thanked her as Elena and Stefan came in the door. After everyone was satisfied that I was safe I excused myself to use the shower.

I walked into the bathroom, put my clothes on the counter and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes looked red and sunken, my hair was greasy and limp. I peeled my clothes off, and stepped into the shower. I spent at least 20 minutes scrubbing my skin raw, shampooed my hair twice and then just stood under the water until I remembered that I was in someone else's home and my friends were all sitting downstairs undoubtedly talking about me so I should probably make an appearance.

I was dressed and trying to figure out what to do about my eyes when I heard a knock at the door. I said come in and Elena slipped through the door, closing it behind her. "Are you okay?" she asked as she leaned up against the counter.

"Depends, is Katherine still here?" I asked as she shifted her gaze towards the floor. "Yeah, I figured." She took the comb from my hand and ran it through my hair. In less than a minute my hair was brushed out and braided down my back. I handed her an elastic to hold it in place and turned to face her. I looked into her eyes still startled by her resemblance to Katherine but her eyes were different, softer despite the dark pigment, almost as dark as my own. Then to my horror I watched as her eyes flashed red and her face transformed, I felt my body turning to ice, my joints seizing up, almost unable to move. As a loud hiss emanated from her mouth I jumped back, but she didn't lunge at me, instead her face, still twisted and monstrous took on a look of concern.

"Norrah," I saw her mouth form my name around her prominent fangs. "Norrah," she called out. My back was against the wall next to the mirror, I couldn't back up any further. I slid down the wall and screamed, covering my head with my hands, my face shielded by my arms. If she was going to do something to me, I didn't want to see her first. I felt a pair of cool hands clamp around my forearms, heard my name, and took in a quick breath as my arms were wrestled from my face.

I stared up into Stefan's face, Elena, Bonnie and Caroline all looking down at me, frightened, as Stefan helped me to my feet, my breath catching in my throat as I rose, still stiff with terror. I looked into his eyes and then leaned against him for support, his hand cupping the back of my head, my tangled and wet hair cascading down my shoulders. I stood frozen as those images replayed in my head; but wait, my hair was still dripping and falling in my face, not neatly pulled back in a long braid. That meant it wasn't real, Katherine hadn't been standing in front of me moments before, none of it was real. I realized quickly that I was safe and surrounded by my friends. I was safe…I was safe.


	5. Chapter 4

**Fourth.**

Stefan helped the girls settle me into the extra bedroom in Bonnie's house. They brought me some tea and cookies to nibble, but I wasn't very hungry. Elena and Bonnie sat on the end of the bed and Caroline sat in the overstuffed chair across the room. Stefan stood leaning against the doorframe watching me, it was making me nervous. Everyone was quite, no one wanted to be the first to break the uncomfortable silence. I sighed, "I'm fine, I swear. I'm sorry that I made you all nervous but I'm okay."

"You've been through a lot," Stefan said to me, "it's alright if you need some time, but we're all here for you. Katherine has gotten to all of us at one time or another." I nodded at him and he pushed himself upright and unfolded his arms. "Well I'm gonna get going. Are you sure you don't need anything?" he asked one last time.

I shook my head. "No, but thank you for everything Stefan, really." He nodded down at me, put his palm up in a little wave to everyone, and headed out. I reached up and rubbed my ring between my thumb and forefinger.

"So what actually happened while you were in that cabin anyway?" Caroline's voice cut through the silence.

"Caroline!" Elena scolded as she glared at her.

"What? She's been gone for almost four weeks," Caroline retorted, "something must have happened besides Katherine killing that woman." I winced as the memory flooded back. I didn't have any real connection to the woman, didn't even know her name, but I felt guilty nonetheless. Katherine had probably planned to kill her anyway, but I know that my actions that day had likely hastened the process.

"It's been four weeks?" I asked looking towards Bonnie and Elena as they exchanged tense glances.

"Four weeks tomorrow," Elena confirmed. I tried to process it, to figure out the timeline, but it was all still so raw that I couldn't concentrate long enough to work it out.

"Well?" Caroline prodded despite the dirty looks that Bonnie and Elena threw her way.

"Caroline, leave her alone!" Bonnie snapped at her in response.

I was staring down at the quilt covering the bed, running my fingers over the delicate stitching and the different textures of the fabric blocks. After a moment I spoke. "It was how I imagine hell to be. The walls closing in on me, an open door mocking me as I lay desiccating and rotting on the bed; my mind still worked but I could barely move and the worst part was that I didn't even care."

I knew that they were all looking at me but I couldn't look up. I took a few deep breaths and reached for my tea taking a few large gulps. I thought for a minute before realizing something wasn't right. "Hey," I looked up at them, "where is Damon?" Again I watched as uncomfortable glances passed between them. Elena turned to me.

"He's dealing with Katherine," She said. Of course, I don't know why I didn't think about that. "She figured out you were gone. Stefan said it was like she sensed it the moment you got out, and tried to come after you. Damon went after her and Stefan came and got me."

"Did she threaten you?" Elena looked away from me. "Elena, what did she say?"

Bonnie spoke up. "She said that if Stefan and Damon didn't return you to them that she was coming after Elena," She told me as she grabbed Elena's hand. "She said that if she found Elena she wouldn't hesitate to kill her." She squeezed Elena's hand and looked back at her. I watched as she comforted Elena without a word, that was true friendship. I missed that.

"I'm going back," I said as I threw the blankets off of my legs.

"What? No, Norrah, you can't. She can't be trusted. Who knows what she would do this time." Elena said to me. "I won't let you go."

"She threatened you," I reminded her. "I can't let her do that and think that she can get away with it."

"Norrah," Bonnie reached out and took hold of my upper arm, "you can't go out after her. She knows this area too well and it's dark. Besides, the cabin is gone." Caroline rushed over blocking my exit. I puffed out my cheeks in frustration.

"Get out of my way Caroline or I'll remove you myself." I felt my anger level rising as she stared back at me. Elena slipped in between us causing me to back down. "Elena, what are you doing?" I asked her in an exaggerated whisper.

"I'm trying to stop you from doing something stupid." I felt the sting of her words. "We are all safe in here, Katherine can't get in. Everyone just needs to relax," she said as she turned back to look at Caroline, "We're safe for now."

For now, her words repeated over and over in my head. What was going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month? We couldn't all stay in this house forever, but it seemed pointless to argue tonight. They were right, I didn't know the area well enough, and besides that I hadn't regained all of my strength yet, so it was possible Katherine could overtake me. I rolled my eyes and with a sigh I sank back down on the bed. I was kidding myself thinking I could find her right now anyway.

My eyelids were quickly getting heavy and the pillows looked so inviting. I started to suspect that there was more than just tea in my mug but rather than fight it I gave myself over to it as the girls argued quietly about sleeping arrangements. Within minutes I was fast asleep and dreaming about my home in England.


	6. Chapter 5

**Fifth.**

I woke sometime late in the night still feeling the effects of whatever they had laced my tea with. Brushing a few stray hairs out of my eyes I looked up to see Elena curled up in the plush chair across from the bed and the door to the room cracked open slightly. The glow from what I assumed was a night light in the hallway filtered into the room for a few inches before tapering out into the darkness. I could sense someone else in the room and rolled onto my back expecting to see Bonnie but instead finding Damon stretched out over the quilt smiling down at me.

"You know you are cute when you sleep," he said to me as I groaned and rubbed my eyes.

"So I've been told," I replied looking back over at him.

"Someone beat me to that line, huh?" he asked me with a devilish half-grin that only he could pull off.

Yeah, my husband," I retorted, "I was married, remember?" I asked as the smirk fell from his face. "Why are you here, I told Stefan I was fine? You really couldn't have waited a few more hours to check-up on me?"

"Who said I was here for you?" He asked. I raised my eyebrows and looked over at Elena who was still fast asleep.

"How did you get in here anyway? Elena said that you hadn't been invited in."

"I can be very persuasive when I want to." He answered in a loud whisper as he reached behind him retrieving a bottle from the bedside table and handing it over to me. Even in the dark I knew what it was.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, not entirely sure that I wanted an answer.

"Relax, I didn't kill anyone," he assured me, "baby bro has been hunting down Bambi's and stocking the fridge for weeks so I grabbed a few before I left. I figured scrambled eggs probably wasn't going to do it for you in the morning, and this way you don't have to leave the house for breakfast. See? It's win/win."

"Great, thanks. I get out of one house only to be trapped in another." I snapped back, then instantly regretted it. Why was I so ungrateful to everyone who was trying to help me? Vulnerability, that's why. These last few years traveling around alone had left me vulnerable and anxious. I had felt safe and secure when Lexi was alive knowing that I always had someone to turn to, someone I could depend on. Without that I had come to realize that I wasn't as brave as I had thought; that, in fact, I was scared.

I sat up resting on my elbows. "I'm sorry," I told him, "This isn't your fault. I'm projecting my frustration with Katherine onto all of you, and I don't mean to. I just never thought that I would be so unprepared when I finally met her, but she has the advantage, she's been watching me my whole life and I only just laid eyes on her for the first time a few weeks ago. I can't believe that I was foolish enough to think that I had the upper hand."

"We've all made that mistake before," he admitted, "some of us more than others."

I was getting drowsy again, my eyelids begging to close, the pillow calling out to me. "Wait a minute," I said snapping back to attention, "If you are here then whose…?"

I didn't have to finish my thought. "Stefan's taking care of it." He told me smiling again. "Go back to sleep, you're safe."

"For now," I mumbled as my head hit the pillow and I drifted off again.


	7. Chapter 6

**Sixth.**

My eyes fluttered open as the blue/gray light of dawn peeked in around the heavy shades on the window. Elena was no longer in the chair, her blanket crumpled up and hanging off of the side. I looked to my left and saw the linens were wrinkled and pushed aside. Great, I thought, someone obviously took his invitation inside the house a little too far. I sat up and stretched my arms, happy for a few moments of solitude. I wasn't exactly known for being a morning person so they were probably better off downstairs.

My feet hit the cool wood floor shocking me for a moment. I pushed myself up and padded over towards the window. The shades had been pulled closed but the window was cracked open and they billowed in and out with the breeze. I crossed my arms in front of me, it was brisk and I wanted to close the window to try to warm the room up a little. I reached up and grabbed the panels, throwing them open and allowing light to pour in around me.

I stood for a moment, smiling up at the sky. A few puffy clouds were slowly making their way east and the sun was lazily rising casting shadows onto the ground. Someone had their fireplace going nearby, the smell of the burning wood so familiar and comforting. I reached up to push the window down and let my eyes fall to the small yard behind the house. I felt the color drain from my face as I saw her, standing right in the middle of the grass staring up at me, her arms crossed in front of her. She smiled lifting one arm and fanning out her fingers in greeting. Katherine.

"Hey, you're up," I heard behind me as I slammed the window down and spun around. Elena stood in the doorway, "geez, it's freezing in here." I whipped my head back around and looked at the yard, but she was gone. Elena took a few steps into the room rubbing her arms and trying to suppress a yawn. "Where did this come from?" she asked as she walked towards my bedside table and picked up the untouched bottle.

"Uh, Damon dropped it off."

She look confused, "When was Damon here?"

"Late last night, Bonnie must have let him in. He was here when I woke up." I told her.

"And by that you mean that he was lying on the bed staring at you as you slept, right?"

I was surprised and let out a small chuckle, "yeah, how'd you know?"

"Years of experience," she replied. "I guess that's how I ended up in the bed. I didn't remember moving during the night." I was relieved to know that he hadn't stayed, perhaps slightly disappointed, but I pushed that feeling away.

"Are you okay, you look a little pale?" she asked me.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, shaking my head a little, "I think I'm just a little low," I said reaching out for the bottle. She handed it over but didn't look convinced, so I unscrewed and drank thirstily. She shrugged and walked back around the bed. "Are you still tired?" I asked. "I can just go downstairs if you are."

"Maybe a little," she said sitting down and straightening out the sheets. I headed for the door. "Hey Norrah," she called after me. I looked back over my shoulder at her. "We're safe, okay?" I gave her a weak smile and nodded, pulling the door closed.

I went down the stairs, careful not to wake the other girls, ducking my head into each of the rooms and out the windows, but she was gone. I slid open the patio door off the kitchen and poked my head out to listen but there was nothing. Bird and squirrels scurried around the grass collecting twigs, acorns and worms. I turned in the opposite direction but heard only a child prattling on to his groggy father about a recent fishing trip with a buddy. There was no sign of her, but I knew that didn't mean that she wasn't close by and I wasn't going to take any chances. I ducked back into the house pulling the door closed behind me.

Back in the living room I found the TV remote and switched the set on. With the volume muted I flipped through the channels but nothing really caught my interest. I wasn't much of a TV watcher anyway, aside from the occasional rainy day movie marathon. I had never even owned a TV until Lexi brought one home one might insisting that we hook it up and watch. We weren't used to spending a lot of time sitting around the house, and eventually we agreed that it was a waste of money, turned off the cable and the set sat unused for three years until I finally convinced her to get rid of it. I switched it off and picked up a book off the coffee table.

I was about three chapters in when my phone started to ring. I picked it up but didn't recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail. I wasn't interested in talking to anyone yet this morning anyway. I looked up at the clock, it was only 6:15am, who would even be calling me at this hour? I went back to the book, ignoring the chimes of my voicemail alert. About an hour later I had finished the book, it was a quick read, moderately interesting, something my mother would have loved I thought as I put it back down on the table.

I picked up my phone remembering the voicemail and punched in my code as I paced over to the front door. As soon as I heard the first syllable my body seized up. "You know my dear, you might think that you are safe playing house with the witch, but don't let your guard down. I may not be able to get into the house but I have ways of getting you out. And tell Elena I said hello, we're old friends you know." The line went dead and the phone fell from my hand. As it hit the floor the battery flew out and landed at my foot as the rest of the phone bounced over towards the stairs.


	8. Chapter 7

**Seventh.**

"Norrah?" Elena called out from the top landing as they tripped over one another on their way down. Bonnie came first, stopping in the middle of the staircase followed by Elena and Caroline. I was still standing in the entranceway with my phone in two pieces on the ground. I bent down to retrieve them.

"I'm so sorry, it just slipped out of my hands," I said as they made their way down. I held the battery in my hand and reached out for the body of the phone as Caroline did the same. She looked up at me, her eyes narrow as they met mine for just a second as she let it go and let me pick it up. I fussed with the two pieces, trying to get them together as my hands shook.

"I'm going to give Stefan a call," Elena said cautiously as she turned towards the kitchen where her phone sat on the counter.

"No!" I shouted as I ran around in front of her. "I mean you don't have to do that. I'm fine, really, I just dropped it. Please don't call him over here. It was a long night, and I'm sure if he was dealing with Katherine he's probably exhausted." I locked eyes with her, "We're safe." I repeated back to her the words she had said to me an hour ago.

I looked up past Bonnie to Caroline who stood at the bottom of the stairs, her arms crossed and a look of disbelief on her face. As she glared back at me she unfolded her arms, rolled her eyes and walked into the living room, switching the TV back on. She slumped down onto the couch and sulked. I didn't have time to deal with that right now. I had to figure out what I was going to do about Katherine before she hurt anyone else.

"Okay, well I'm going to go out and pick-up a few things for breakfast," Bonnie announced, "any requests?"

"But you can't leave," I said to her, "Katherine is out there somewhere waiting."

"I've dealt with her before, trust me she isn't a threat to me." Bonnie replied despite my plea.

"If anyone is safe leaving this house right now, it's Bonnie," Elena agreed as Bonnie went up to change. "C'mon, I'll get some coffee brewing, I think we could all use a pick-me-up this morning," she said leading me into the kitchen.

I sat in one of the chairs at the table as she found the coffee filters and got the machine started. Once she sat down with me I lowered my voice so that the other girls couldn't hear. "So is Caroline always this broody, or is it just me?" I asked her, hoping the TV was loud enough to cover-up my voice.

"She laughed, "Don't take it personally, that's just Caroline. I think she feels a little threatened by you, but she'll come around."

"I hope so," I told her. "It would really help if we were on the same team. I probably deserve it though. I haven't exactly been very friendly."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Elena asked.

"No, it's better if I do it," I told her, "we're overdue for a heart to heart anyway. It'll be easier to talk to her alone.

"Right," she said and nodded back.

Elena stood to pour the coffee as Bonnie came back down dressed in jeans, an embellished t-shirt and an oversized knit vest with accessories to match. I was impressed, my own taste had always been so plain. She held out a travel mug as Elena poured the brew into it, dressed it up with a little milk and sugar and headed out. I grabbed a mug and took my time adding sugar and a touch of light cream while Elena prepared her own and one for Caroline. She sipped her own and handed me the extra mug. "I'm going to take a shower and change," she told me, "why don't you go and try to make peace with Caroline."

She took her mug and left the room. I stayed in my seat until I heard the water running then picked up the two mugs and headed towards the living room. I put Caroline's mug on a coaster on the coffee table and took a seat in the small loveseat cross from her. She stubbornly stared at the TV so I knew that I would have to make the first move. "Caroline, I…" She cut me off before I could even get my sentence out.

"It was Katherine wasn't it," she asked me pointedly, "on the phone this morning, that's why you dropped it?"

She stared me down and I have to admit that I could see how she might be a little intimidating to a lot of people. I glared right back. "Yes, it was Katherine."

"Then why didn't you just say that? Why cover it up, we all know she's after you and that she's threatening Elena."

I wasn't really sure how to respond. I thought for a minute and then said, "I don't want everyone worrying about me. She caught me off guard the last time, that's all."

"Yeah, but it's not just you who could get hurt. She threatened Elena, she killed me. There is a lot more at stake this time. She isn't going to stop until she gets what she wants, and she doesn't care who she hurts in the process."

"I know," I told her, "and I'm sorry. Please Caroline, we need to fix this thing between us. I know that I initiated it, but I'm asking you to forgive me so that we can work together, otherwise she wins. She'll drive that wedge in so far that we'll all break apart." I looked into her eyes, "I'm asking you to help me. If you can't do it for me, do it for Elena. I can't let her lose anyone else that she loves. Please."

"Okay, fine," she said, "but you can't refer to me as a newborn anymore then, deal?"

"Wait, when did you hear me refer to you as a newborn?" I asked. "Is that why you've been so hostile?"

"I didn't hear you say it exactly," she said nervously, "but I overheard Katherine telling Damon that was why you didn't trust me. I wanted to help you, really, I just didn't think you wanted my help."

I started to laugh, and then I couldn't stop. I had no idea that this was why she was acting this way. She looked at me like I was crazy and started laughing too. Soon we were both red faced and giddy. We looked up as we heard a knock at the door and Stefan stepped in balancing a tray with five huge coffee cups on it. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked as he casually sniffed the air. "Smells like I might be too late."

"Trust me," Caroline said to him as she got up and helped relieve him if his load, "we can all use it this morning. I smiled and followed them both into the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 8

**Eighth.**

Bonnie got back just as Elena was coming down the stairs rubbing a towel in her wet hair. "Please tell me I smell fresh coffee." She said as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Come and get it," Stefan responded as he handed her a cup.

"Ooh, mocha, nice touch." She said hanging the towel on the back of a chair and sitting down.

"And I got cinnamon rolls," Bonnie announced as she unpacked the grocery bag. She washed her hands and pulled a pan out from under the counter, turned on the oven and popped them in. We all sat in silence letting the smell of cinnamon fill the room.

Finally I took the lead and spoke up. "So Stefan did you have a late night?" I asked him curiously.

"Uh, no," he replied, "not really. Did you really want to talk about this?"

I shrugged, "We might as well, its hanging like a pall over the room, kinda bringing down the mood. So out with it, how miserable did she make you last night?"

"Actually she never showed up," he told us all. "Damon told her that if she wanted to talk that she'd have to do it face-to-face, no more phone calls or messages left somewhere that we would be sure to find it, otherwise he might just have to give Klaus a call and alert him that we had a new house guest, but she called his bluff and never came by."

"Wait," I said a little surprised, "Damon was going to tell the Originals that I was here?"

"No, of course not," Stefan assured me, "but he needed to get her attention. That was his way of doing it.

I was shocked. All this time I thought he cared about me, but he was just using me in some sick game he was playing with Katherine. "So that's what I am now? Some pawn to use in this never-ending ridiculous game." I pushed my chair out and stood. I felt betrayed.

"No, Norrah, that's not it at all," Stefan said standing as well and reaching for my arm. "He's trying to help you, we all are. It's just that when it comes to Katherine you have to play dirty sometimes."

"Yeah, Norrah he's doing it because he cares." Elena chimed in, "he doesn't want anything to happen to you, none of us do."

I stood in silence contemplating what they were saying. When the oven timer rang we all jumped. It broke the tension and I sat back down. Bonnie opened the door and we were all overwhelmed by the scent. I still felt uneasy and unsure of Damon's tactics, Elena knew him better than I did, and she wouldn't lie to me, right? Bonnie plated the rolls and iced the tops while they were still hot, then passed them out. At that moment I couldn't think of anything but that roll, and we all started tearing them apart.

As we all sat and ate I thought I smelled something strange. "Bonnie, did you turn off the oven?" I asked her.

"Yeah, why?" she asked back.

"I smell something burning," I told her.

I looked over at Stefan, "Me too, he said. We all started searched the kitchen for the source and then I saw it.

"Smoke! The basement!" I cried as I saw it starting to creep beneath the door.

"Everybody, out, now!" Stefan herded us past the basement door and out to the front of the house. I still had my phone in my pocket from earlier so I called 911.

We all stood huddled on the sidewalk as the engines pulled up, broke a window in the basement and put out the flames. I thought back on Katherine's words from earlier "…don't let your guard down. I may not be able to get into the house but I have ways of getting you out."

"Stefan," I turned to him, "it was her. She called me this morning, left a message warning me that she would get us out of the house." I frantically searched my phone but the message was gone. Something must have happened when I dropped it. I looked back through my call log but the number wasn't there. "It's not here, how is it not here?" I asked no one in particular.

"I believe you, just stay close. She's not likely to come after you in the daylight with all of these people around. It's a scare tactic." He told me as he pushed me in closer to the girls. The fire was out, it had been fairly small and contained to the basement, but there was some minor smoke damage on the first floor. Once we got back into the house the police came in to interview us and file a report. I gave one of them a quick account of what happened and then ducked out of the kitchen. Elena and Stefan were talking to the Fire Chief in the living room. She looked over at me and I motioned to her that I was going to go upstairs, she nodded and turned back to the Chief.

It was now or never, I grabbed my bag by the door, slipped out and made a run for it. I knew I would probably only have a 10-15 minute head start before they noticed I was gone so I ran as fast as I could back towards the boarding house. Once there I threw my bag on the bed as the contents spilled out, picked up my backpack and started shoving my clothes in. Once I had collected all of them I walked into the bathroom, grabbing a few towels, my toothbrush and a few other things. It took me a minute to zip up the bag, it was filled to the max. I'd just have to carry my other bag separately.

I was still looking down at my bag, struggling with one of the zippers as I walked back into the room. I sensed her before I saw her, and when I looked up I dropped the pack to the floor, breaking the zipper and causing a volcano of clothes across the floor. My breath caught in my throat as my jaw dropped. She sat on the bed, leafing through my journal making faces at whatever she read. "What the…? How the…?" I couldn't get complete a sentence. Shock was clearly written all over my face as she looked up and smiled.

"Hey friend, did you miss me?"

"Lexi?"


	10. Chapter 9

**Ninth.**

She closed my journal and put it down on the bed. "You're not even going to say anything about me reading this?" she asked casually as she rose up from the bed. "You don't look so good Nor, almost like you've seen a ghost or something." I shook my head. This was impossible, something was wrong with me. She walked up bedside me and I could smell her perfume, she leaned in and whispered, "What's the matter? You can't take a joke anymore?" I felt her breath in my ear, then she kissed my cheek and ran for the bathroom door.

I swung around with my hand up to my face, still in shock. "I felt that, how did I feel that?" I had to be dreaming but I didn't remember going to sleep.

"It's not a dream," she cut in as if reading my mind.

"How did you know I was thinking that?" I asked, "What the hell is going on here, why are you doing this to me?"

She laughed at that. "I can't read your mind Norrah, but we've been friends for over three hundred fifty years. I just know you, and I know how you think. Believe me, this isn't a dream." I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry. "Sit down on the bed and take a few deep breaths, then decide which you want to do." Again, I was surprised. She knew me too well.

I didn't sit down though, I followed her into the bathroom. I pinched her arm as she leaned over the counter to check her make-up. "Oww," she slapped at my hand, "what was that for?"

"Are you serious?" I asked her. "How the hell are you here Lex?"

She turned around and looked at me, hurt in her eyes, "I've always been here Nor. I told you I'd never leave you alone. I mean I'm not always right next to you, but whenever you think about me, I'm here." Tears welled up in my eyes as she spoke. "You're my sister, I love you." And with that, the dam broke. She reached out for me, but I stepped back. Again she looked at me with hurt in her eyes. I didn't understand what was happening. I saw her die, I felt the stake as it pierced her heart, and I had mourned for her ever since. Now that I was finally accepting what happened to her, she comes back? How was this fair?

I reached out and grabbed her hand, still completely sure that at any moment it would all be over. I would wake up and she'd be gone again and I'd have to feel all of that pain again. But it didn't go away. I felt her hand just as I had before. I looked up at her before crushing her in an embrace. "I can feel you Lex, I can't believe it, I never thought I'd see you again. How am I able to feel you?"

She pushed me back and put her hands on my shoulders. "I don't know how you feel me, but if you don't knock it off you are going to feel me kick your ass," she told me matter-of-factly and then her face broke into a smile. I laughed at her. She knew she could never take me. "Now let's get all of this stuff together and get the hell out of here."

"Wait, you're coming with me?" I asked her. She looked back at me and raised her eyebrows. I nodded, "okay, let's go then."

"One little problem," she said and my heart sank.

"What?" I asked. "Don't you dare tell me that now that I believe you are real you can't come."

"I'm not, I'm coming with you Norrah."

"Then what's the problem?"

She glanced over at the door and then back at me. "Damon's home…" and right on cue he came crashing through the door.

"What the hell are you thinking?" he yelled as he stormed towards me. "Why would you come back here when you know Katherine has free reign of this house? She could come busting through here any minute and I can't guarantee that I can keep you safe. She's older than me, stronger, and she's pissed off. C'mon, we're getting out of here," he grabbed my arm and started towards the door. I shook him, confused. I looked back at Lexi who just shrugged. I could see fire in his eyes. "Do you think I am kidding about this? Katherine is dangerous. More dangerous than you know."

I watched as Lexi walked over and stood in front of him. "Hello Damon, you narcissistic jack-ass." She made a fist and punched him as hard as she could. I reacted, but her hand didn't make contact with his face.

Damon looked back at me angrily. "What is wrong with you?" he snapped. He couldn't see her, Damon had no idea Lexi was standing right next to me. I looked over at her, she raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"I've been waiting a long time to do that. Probably would have been more momentous if he was able to feel it," she said with a chuckle. I couldn't contain one quick laugh.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, sorry." I went back to the bed and grabbed my purse. I picked it up and turned back to Damon. "Did you try to use me to lure her out?"

"What? No, what are you talking about?" He asked.

"Did you tell Katherine that if she didn't come over here and talk to you that you would tell the Originals that I was still alive?"

"Well, yeah, but it was a bluff. I wasn't really going to tell them." He said as he walked towards me. He could see the hurt in my eyes, the betrayal, but he couldn't see the rage. Anger was boiling up in me about Katherine, about Lexi. "C'mon Norrah, I'm trying to keep you safe."

I shifted my eyes over toward Lexi. "Well," she said, "I've already taken my shot. You're up kid." I gave her a sideways smile.

"I am not a toy for you to dangle in front of her to see if she'll swat."

"I know, look, it was just a way to get her here, okay? He said. "Now let's go before she gets here and makes both of us sorry."

"I'm already sorry Damon."

"Wha…" I hauled back and hit him square in the temple sending him flying across the floor. He slammed into the banister in the hallway and crumpled. I stared at my outstretched fist, shocked. I'd never punched anyone before.

Lexi stood next to me laughing, "Wow slugger, that was a definite home run." She looked at me. "You can put your hand down."

"Do you think I hurt him?" I asked.

"I think he's a vampire who will heal, and he killed your best friend so he deserved it. Now grab your stuff and let's go, the others are coming."

"Hey, just because you're dead doesn't mean you don't have to help," I told her as I stuffed my overflowing pack in her hands. I grabbed the clothes on the floor and walked out of the room. Lexi walked ahead but I stopped for a minute to check on Damon. A huge black and purple bruise had formed on his cheek and his jaw looked a little crooked, I probably broke a few bones.

"Norrah!" Lexi yelled up to me.

"Hey Lex you were right," I called back, "that was a damn good shot." I ran down the stairs and out the front door.


	11. Chapter 10

**Tenth.**

The door closed behind me as I met Lexi out front. "Okay, well my car is over here," I pointed to my left, but Lexi started walking to the right.

"Yeah, we're not taking a car, they're too close. Can you still outrun me?" She took off into the woods.

"Always a cheater," I said to myself as I took off towards her. I saw Stefan's car out of the corner of my eye just as I hit the woods. I looked straight ahead, catching up with Lexi and hoping that he didn't see me. "Okay, stop" I said as we both put on the brakes. "Where are we going?"

"Who cares," she said to me, "I'm back Norrah, at least in some form, and I have no idea how long it's going to last. I just want to run," and off she went again.

I took off after her again. It isn't as easy to track a ghost then a real person. Good thing she hadn't switched perfumes. As I thought about how ridiculous that sounded I switched directions and cut her off by the falls. I was out of breath and had to stop for a minute. "Okay," I said as I fought to control my breathing, "please tell me why you are running me around these woods."

"I can't let her find you," she said to me, "not yet."

"Who, Katherine?" I asked her. "If we stay in these woods she's going to find me Lex. She knows this area too well, we need to get out of here."

"I'm not talking about Katherine. You can take that bitch down with your eyes closed."

"Then who are you talking about. Who else is looking for me?"

"She isn't looking for you, but if you aren't careful she's going to find you. Listen, we don't have time to talk about it now, we have to go. Stefan already found Damon and he's coming after you. If you go back to that house she'll find you," Lexi tried to explain. "Are you ready to go?" I still didn't know what or who she was talking about, but there was an urgency in her voice that told me that this wasn't a safe place to talk about it. I nodded and we were off again.

We ran past the part of the woods where the cabin had been so I knew that we had left Mystic Falls, but I'd never been out this far so I held onto Lexi's hand instead of following her so that we wouldn't get separated. We ran for miles before she slowed down, and I was sure that my lungs were going to explode. It was starting to get dark but Lexi kept moving. We had slowed to a walk by now. I was going to have to hunt soon, I had expended so much energy that I was feeling drained and light headed. I reached out for her arm, "How much further are we going? I have to eat something."

"Oh yeah," she realized, "do you want to stop here? It's only a little further, at the base of that hill." She pointed towards an area about a half-mile away.

"No, let's just get there and put this stuff down." We walked together like we did centuries ago, trying to find shelter and the nights we were too far from home. I looked over at her. "I've missed you Lex. It's not the same without you."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"So where are you when you're not here?" I asked. "Is there somewhere else that we go?"

"There's somewhere else if you want to go there," she tells me. "I've been there a few times, not really sure what the big deal is. I mean it's everything they say it is, beautiful, bright, peaceful, but that's not really my scene. I'd rather be here, that way I can keep an eye on you," she teased.

"Well, that's not a creepy thought." I replied.

"Don't flatter yourself," she said, "You have been a bore since I've been gone. Now Stefan going off the rails again, that was a journey. Then when Elena's witch friend brought us back I tried to help him, I had no idea how long I'd be here. Elena needed me so I tried to show her what to do, but once again Damon swooped in and ruined everything. I remember her telling me to be at peace and the next thing I knew I was back on the other side, watching you both but unable to do anything to help you."

"So what changed? If you've been around all this time why did you only just appear today?"

"Norrah, I don't have any good answers for you, I don't know what the difference was. I saw you and Stefan talking on the sidewalk this morning, next thing I knew you were running back to the boarding house. By the time I caught up you were tearing the bathroom apart so I sat down on the bed and your journal slid down and hit my hand," she said. "I picked it up off the bed and I was shocked, I haven't been able to interact with anything before now. I flipped a few pages, amazed that I could feel it, pick it up. When you came out of the bathroom and saw me I was just as surprised as you. The only difference is that I see you all the time so it wasn't quite as Epic for me."

I stopped her and turned her back towards me. "So there is another place you can go?" I asked again, "And you've been there?" She knew where I was going and warned me to stop, but I couldn't. "Have you seen her Lex? Is Maddie there?" I felt my eyes burn and then tears flowing down my face, I was losing control. "Have you seen her? Is she okay? Lexi please, "I begged her. I saw the sadness in her eyes, she didn't want to disappoint me. I knew what she was going to say before the words left her mouth. I had to look away, I couldn't bear to see her mouth form the words.

I'm so sorry Nor. I've asked around, I've looked myself, but I haven't found her." I physically felt my heart break in two. If she wasn't there then where was she? My mind flashed back to the day of her burial. I felt her skin, her hair. My precious baby, gone from this world. I closed my eyes and I saw her face when we watched the sunrise, then she was smiling on the hillside as I hung out the laundry. She was two years old again, sitting on her daddy's lap in the firelight, then a toddler learning to walk in the afternoon sun. Pictures kept flooding back in reverse order. She lay with my mother in her last hours, then my mother singing to her on the bench in front of the house and finally her little perfect pink body resting on my chest just moments after her birth.

Lexi just took my hand and stood with me silently as I cried. She didn't try to embrace me, she knew that I didn't need that, I just needed her hand. After a few minutes the tears stopped and we stood hand in hand looking up into the night sky. I took a deep calming breath and she looked over at me. "I'll keep looking Norrah, I'll find her."

"I know you will," I told her. "Do you think we'll ever be together again, My mom, Maddie and me?"

"I think when your time comes they'll be the first ones to greet you." I smiled at her, she always knew just what to say.

"And where will you be?" I asked.

"Well by then I'll have had enough of you to have lasted me at least a century. Find Brad Pitt, chances are I'll be wherever he is." We both laughed, I took one last look up at the sky and then we walked the rest of the way to the hillside hand-in-hand.


	12. Chapter 11

**Eleventh.**

The hillside had a small outcropping about six feet high that served as a very functional cover over our heads. We put all the stuff down and I helped Lexi clear out all of the leaves and twigs. I asked her to grab the camping mattress and sleeping bag that were rolled up and attached to the bottom of the backpack. "I didn't really think of this before, but you probably don't have to sleep do you Lex?"

"Nope," she answered, "one of the perks of being dead."

"You've been dead for over 350 years," I quipped at her.

"And no one knows that better than you," she shot back.

"Ouch," I said back with a hurt tone, "Well since you won't have to sleep, and I still have to eat, why don't you make yourself useful. Reach out and touch that mattress and set up a bed for me." She responded by throwing one of the small pillows at me.

I didn't need to go far to find food, we were pretty deep in the woods. I didn't want to be out of earshot either since Lexi was the one who could sense if anyone was coming. I was back at the hill in less than ten minutes. I got back to find Lexi gone. I looked around and listened, but she wasn't there. "Hey Lex?" I waited, nothing. "Lexi? Alexia?" still nothing. I started to get nervous. Without her here how would I know if someone was coming after me. I sat down on the bedroll and waited. Another five minutes passed with no sign of her.

"Lexi?" I called out into the dark. Damn, where was she? "Alexia Branson?" I stood up and called out to her but again, no response. I was starting to get cold. I turned back to get my sweater out of my pack and suddenly she was in front of me. "Geez, where did you come from?"

"Just ran out for a minute, wanted to see if I could still track, why?"

I put out my hand. "Can you still feel this?" I asked her.

She narrowed her eyes and put her palm on top of mine. "Yeah, why?"

I reached out and smacked her on the arm. "That's why. Don't leave me alone out here, I have no idea where we are."

"That's never bothered you before," she said as she rubbed her arm.

"Well I've never had a psychopathic vampire hunting me down before either," I responded.

"So what are you going to do while I sleep?" I ask her.

"I dunno," she replied, "probably just sit here and watch you."

"You really are creepy now you know that?" I asked her. She waved her fingers at me making ridiculous ghost noises.

"I won't leave you alone, I promise, but we'll probably need to get out of here before dawn."

"Okay, well wake me early then. I should probably hunt before we leave so I won't have to stop later." We both nodded. "So can you still vamp out?" I asked her.

"I think so," she told me. "I haven't really had a reason to since I don't have to eat and no one can see me."

"Try it," I coaxed her. She stood up next to where I was sitting, turned away and then pounced on me, her fangs down and her face all twisted. I grabbed both of her checks as she hissed. "There's my little cherubic vampire."

She turned her head fast and bit my hand. "Oww."

"That's what you get. Don't be a baby, look up in the sky and heal it."

"No, I think I'm going to let it get infected, maybe fall off. That'll be a permanent reminder of my good friend Alexia." I pushed her over and healed my hand. "You can put those things away now," I told her pointing to her fangs.

"No way, come on, bring yours out to play. I'll bet you will have a camera in here somewhere."

"You want to take a picture? Seriously?" I asked her.

"Are you really asking me that? Seriously?" She mocked me.

I sighed. "Fine." I reached into my bag and fished around coming up with my camera.

"So if no one can see you, how is this going to work?" I asked her.

"No answers Nor, c'mon, stop worrying about how and just enjoy it." She was right, it didn't matter how it worked, all that mattered was that I had been given a gift. I got my sister back and neither of us knew how long it would last so I needed to just suck it up and enjoy her while it lasts. So that's what we did, we used the camera's timer and got some great angled shots, I got pictures of her standing with a deer who didn't know she was there preparing to bite it. She got a few of me running at the camera. We had a blast.

"Wow," I said as we got back to the hillside, "these came out great." I put the camera back in my bag and we laid back on the bedroll. "The sky is amazing, it's almost unchanged from when I was little. My dad used to take me out to the field and we would lie on a blanket and try to count them." As we sat and stared waves of exhaustion started to wash over me and I started to fall asleep. I wiggled into the sleeping bag and gathered the pillows.

I rolled over and looked at Lexi with her eyes closed facing the sky. I wanted to remember this in case it really is all a dream. If I wake up tomorrow and none of it really happened I wanted to be at peace with it. "Alexia?" She turned to me and opened her eyes.

"It's not a dream Norrah!" she exclaimed, "you do not get to say goodbye to me yet." She reached for my hand, "here, I will hold your hand while you sleep and when you wake up I will still be holding it, okay?"

I took a deep breath, "okay," I agreed. She squeezed my hand and I heard her mutter under her breath, "when did you become such a baby?"

Just before I fell off to sleep I whispered, "when you left me and got yourself killed." With that sleep finally took over, and I gladly gave in to it.


	13. Chapter 12

**Twelfth.**

It was well before dawn when I woke, probably close to 3am judging by the sky. Lexi remained next to me with her arm over her forehead, her mouth open slightly and, as she promised, her hand still in mine. She always looked like a damsel in distress when she slept, I giggled at her. And she opened one eye. "Good act, huh?" she asked me as she sat herself up.

"Sure, but kind of a pointless one don't you think? It's not as if anyone can see you." I pointed out.

"Well, I don't care about anyone else. I just didn't want you to feel bad about getting some rest. Besides, it's not all an act. We don't sleep like you do, but we do enter a different stream of consciousness that mimics sleep. It allows up to recharge. Even ghosts have their limits."

I guess that made sense. "Okay, so what is the plan for today?"

"Just keep running."

"Alright, but where are we running to? I prodded her as I started to pack up the bedroll.

"It doesn't really matter as long as we stay away from them. You can't go back to the boarding house Norrah, not now, not ever. That's where she'll catch you."

"That's where who will catch me? Are we back to talking about Katherine again? I told you that she won't do anything to me, she just caught me off guard!"

She looked back at me, somewhat disappointed. "I told you, it's not Katherine. Now let's go, get that stuff together and let's move."

I tried to get her to explain herself, but she pretended to be preoccupied with stuffing my clothes back into the back and trying to fix the zipper. I hated it when she was evasive. It was one of the only things that had caused us to fight over the centuries. I know that everyone is trying to keep me safe, but I feel more vulnerable now than I ever have. I just wish everyone would stop making me guess and just give me some straight answers.

We got everything together and covered our tracks around the hill. I ran out for a few minutes to get something to eat, came back and grabbed my stuff and we left. We walked for a bit, Lexi didn't seem concerned that anyone was after us so we were able to cover a lot of ground. When the sun had popped up over the horizon and it started to warm up we stopped at a stream so I could get a drink and we could clean up. I took out the towels that I had taken from my bathroom and scrubbed my hands and face.

I looked over at Lexi when I finished and was shocked. The sun danced through her golden hair making it shine and come alive. The light on her face showed off her flawless skin and made her eyes sparkle with life. I realized that it had been over three and a half centuries since I saw her in the daylight. She didn't have a lapis ring or pendant so we could only go out together in the dark. Looking at her now I'm reminded of what a beauty she was in life and what a shame it was that she didn't get to live it out properly.

I knew that she could tell what I was thinking, but she didn't want to re-hash that old argument and start assigning blame. Instead we decided that we should run for a bit, put more distance between us and Mystic Falls. I could see a flicker of concern in her eyes, but we started moving anyway. I let her run ahead this time, I could see her much more easily in the sunlight. We raced through a boggy part of the woods and then to another line of hills. I followed her up and over the first but when I got to the other side, something was wrong.

I had lost sight of her. I ran up the second hill to see if she had gone over it, but still I couldn't find her. Knowing that she would come back when she realized that I was gone, I waited calmly on the hilltop, pacing back and forth and scanning as far out as I could, but nothing. After a few minutes I called out her name, it echoed off of the hillsides, but there was no response. I walked back down into the valley between the hills and tried again. Still nothing.

I walked back over the first hill to see if she had circled back, "Lexi?" I called as I put my bag down. "Lexi," I cried with my hands cupping my mouth, "this isn't funny." She was nowhere. "Alexia!" my final plea. The next thing I knew I was falling to my knees. Something had hit me from behind, not to hurt me, just to get me off of my feet. I whipped around and saw a blur on my left and then a hand cupped over my mouth, the other covering my ear. Another set of hands grabbed onto my legs as a third placed a blindfold over my eyes. I was writhing and wiggling, trying to get away. The third person helped to steady my abdomen but still they struggled to restrain me.

I heard them talking to one another, but only mumbles. The one who had my head covered my other ear with the forearm of the hand covering my mouth. I tried to scream out but it was too muffled. I thought I might be able to bite them, but the hand remained cupped as if they knew better than to flatten it to my lips. I was panicked and pissed-off. I desperately tried to send Lexi a message, where was she now that I really needed her?

Finally the one responsible for my head loosened their grip just a little around my ears. I heard a female voice saying it was too hard to walk with me struggling. Good, I would fight even harder.

The other two were males, one asked the other, "Did you bring it?"

"Yeah," the second one said, "it's made just the way she told us."

"Well then give it to her already, she's fighting too hard" replied the first. Wait, give me what? What would they give me so I would stop fighting. His hand slipped off of my mouth as I fought him and I screamed, "LEXI, Help Me, LEXI!" and then he clamped down again. The blindfold shifted slightly on my eyes as he fought me to regain control. I saw the syringe before it pierced my skin, and screamed under the man's hand. They can't do this, not vervain, it was too much, NO! The needle broke through the skin on my flanks and sunk deeper as they pushed the plunger. The dose was too high, this time it would surely kill me…and then, nothing.


	14. Chapter 13

**Thirteenth.**

There was no burning sensation when I was roused from the black. No unimaginable pain, no blood, no blisters or sores. I was too weak to open my eyes but I heard voice all around me. "Make sure her head if comfortable," "Keep those big pillows under her feet," "Do you think this bed is too hard to be lying on for so long?" "Surround her with pillows so she's comfortable when she wakes." I could feel my body being lifted gently as they arranged the bed and then placed back down on a mountain of pillows. I could hear but not distinguish voices and I could feel but the pain had not hit yet. I couldn't move. My eyes refused to open. I wondered if maybe I was dead. For a fleeting moment I thought that maybe I would see Maddie and my mother when I was able to open my eyes.

"What was she screaming when you grabbed her?" asked one voice, female I think.

"She was calling out for Lexi to come help her," said a male.

"Why would she call out for Lexi, she knows that Lexi is dead," another female.

"They were best friends and the only family that either of them had for three hundred fifty years. Even when Lexi was here with me it was always obvious how much she missed her. They were the only constant in one another's lives." Stephan! That had to be Stefan! Where was I, how had Stefan found me? Where was Lexi? I wanted to scream!

I was drifting in and out of the black, each time I woke I expected the pain to start, but it never did. This time I wanted it to stop, "Let me wake up, please," I would repeat over and over in my head but I wasn't strong enough to fight off that ever present oblivion, so I stopped trying. It seemed like a cosmic joke, the moment I stopped fighting things started coming into focus. I could hear and recognize voices, I felt my hands and feet starting to move a little. Everyone kept trying to get me to open my eyes, but it was too hard. I would try and try but they were stubborn and wouldn't even crack open.

They knew that I could hear them when I moved, but when I lay perfectly still and they thought I was asleep they would talk. Some of them thought I'd run off and gone mad, others blamed Katherine. One voice was noticeably absent. I hadn't heard Damon since the day that I hit him. I listened to the others as they threw around theories, Elena, the voice of reason telling everyone to back off and they would ask me when I woke. I felt a great kinship to her at that moment, but I knew that even she had a theory.

I stopped listening to them and thought about Lexi. Where had she gone, and why had she left me all alone in those woods? It wasn't like her. We would have given our lives for the other one. There had to be an explanation. Something must have happened to her. I could feel the tears escaping the corners of my eyes. They were still talking but had moved to another room. I felt someone grab my hand and squeeze, then a whisper in my ear. "Open your eyes Norrah, please open your eyes." I gave it everything I had and they started to open. I couldn't believe it. Tears were clouding my view but I could see her blonde hair, feel her squeeze my hand whispering "You can do it, c'mon Norrah." As they popped open.

"Lexi," I managed to croak out, but she was up and off the bed. I heard someone yelling out that I had opened my eyes and tried to talk and then a flood of people came into the room. Elena grabbed a tissue and wiped my eyes so I could see. I looked around at all the faces, but where did Lexi go? I scanned the room desperately as everyone again talked over me. "Do you think she can swallow?" "I'll go get some blood." "What did she say?" "Norrah, can you see us?"

I wiggled my fingers and looked down at my empty hand. I wanted someone to take it and tell me it was okay. I needed them to assure me that Lexi was fine and it was all a mistake. There was too much commotion, too many questions, too many, too much…If I hadn't gone mad before now, I was about to.

"Can everyone just quiet down for a minute," Elena spoke up. "This is all probably a bit overwhelming, give her a chance to breathe."

"Elena's right," Stefan chimed in. "Let's all just give her a chance to wake up. It's been a rough few days for everyone." He said as he ushered them out of the room. Elena remained on the bed next to me.

"Are you okay, I mean really okay?" She asked me. I shook my head. No, I wasn't okay. I didn't know if I'd ever be okay again. I looked down at my hand and wiggled my fingers. "You want me to hold your hand?" I nodded. Moving was taking a lot out of me. She took my hand in hers, it felt so warm, so alive. "Norrah," she asked me, "Did you really see Lexi?" I pushed my lips together tightly trying not to cry. I looked up at her and nodded, letting one tear escape. She wiped it away with a tissue and whispered. "I believe you."


	15. Chapter 14

**Fourteenth.**

The next few days I just concentrated on getting my strength back. I was able to talk and had started walking around with help, my legs still a bit shaky. They all took shifts with me during the day, there were always at least two people in the house. No one asked me why I was in the woods and I didn't ask how I got back here. I needed a few days to just focus on getting better before tackling those subjects. I did, however, want to talk to Elena about it.

It was hard to get her alone with the constant rotation of people in and out of the house. I heard that Damon was in the house, but he never came to my room. I was a little disappointed, but not really surprised. I had heard that I'd broken his jaw and the orbit around his eye. Of course they healed up quickly, but he wasn't anxious to come back and relive that. When I finally got a chance to talk to Elena I was well enough to get down the stairs and sit by the fire. The cool air had descended on the region and the warmth from the fire was heavenly.

We settled in on one of the couches face-to-face. "Okay, I can't take this anymore. No one wants to talk to me about what happened and it's driving me crazy." I told her.

"I think everyone wanted to give you some space. You were in pretty rough shape when you got back here." She explained. "You fought them so hard in the woods, even after they gave you the shot. They were exhausted when they came back."

"Wait, when who came back?" I asked her.

"Stefan, Damon and Caroline," she told me, "They only brought that syringe in the off chance that they needed it, but they said you kept screaming for Lexi and thrashing around so hard. They were all bruised up when they got back, Stefan had a broken rib, Caroline had two broken fingers. You are a hell of a lot stronger than any of them thought."

"Those three were the ones that got me out of the woods?"

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" She seemed surprised.

"No, I was knocked to my knees, blindfolded and had my ears and mouth covered. I was terrified, of course I fought back!"

"Norrah, I'm so sorry, I thought you knew. They said they all talked to you, tried to calm you down but you kept screaming for help and for Lexi. They had no other choice. We had all thought Katherine had taken you and they were afraid that you're screaming and fighting would draw attention to them."

"What was in the syringe?" I asked her.

"Bonnie figured out that if they mixed witch hazel with the vervain that it wouldn't burn you, just knock you out. We had no idea how much it would take, so they filled the syringe and were planning to give it to you little by little to see how you reacted. Caroline tried to just give a little, but the guys couldn't keep you still and she couldn't control it. She gave you the whole syringe."

I stopped for a minute to take it all in. So they figured out how to use vervain on me without hurting me. Not exactly a comforting thought. "If you are worried about Katherine finding out about it, you don't have to. It was while she had you at the cabin."

"That's not really what I'm worried about. If Katherine wants to vervain me, she isn't going to take the time to dilute it. She enjoyed seeing me in pain," I told her. "What worries me is why you all felt like you needed to figure that out at all."

"We just wanted to help, no one wanted to see you in that kind of pain again. She has just taken you and we had no idea where you were. We just thought that if we found you and you were in that kind of pain again we might have come up with something to help."

I stood up and walked over right next to where Elena sat. "Well if you want to help, answer one more question for me. What happened to Lexi? She was there when I woke up and then she was gone, where did she go when you all rushed into the room?"

Elena looked genuinely confused. "Lexi?" she asked, "Norrah, Lexi hasn't been here at all."

"She was here, I saw her, when I opened my eyes I saw her. She whispered in my ear to encourage me and she held my hand. Lexi is the only one who knows how to comfort me like that."

She looked up at me, sadness in her eyes. "Norrah, that wasn't Lexi, it was Caroline. Caroline was with you when you opened your eyes." I could read it in her eyes. She didn't really believe that Lexi was here at all, she thought I was crazy just like the rest of them. I couldn't believe it.

"Elena," I said to her quietly, calmly, "I think you can take the rest of the afternoon off." I looked over towards the study "And tell Damon he's free to go as well, I no longer need a babysitter." I ran out of the living room and up the stairs. I heard Elena calling but I didn't care. I double locked the door, standing there for a moment, listening to Elena and Damon downstairs and then walked away.

I pulled the dark curtains over the windows closed, turned off all but one light and sat down on the bed hugging my knees. I knew I wasn't crazy, it was all real. It didn't matter if they believed me, I knew it was Lexi that was with me in the woods. I glanced over at the bedside table, the small drawer at the top was cracked open. I unfolded my arms and pulled it open revealing all of my prints of Lexi and I, starting way back in the late 1800's. I flipped through one by one. Flappers in the twenties, Rosie the Riveter, nurses again in the forties, paper hats and all; in the fifties we hung out at diners, wore poodle skirts into the early sixties; we both made very convincing hippies in the seventies. The eighties and nineties were a bit of a hot mess, but at least we looked ridiculous together. I put them down on the mattress next to me and smiled.

Hold on! Pictures! Yes! We had taken pictures in the woods. They would have to believe me. I jumped off the bed scattering the prints on the floor and grabbed my bag that had obviously been recovered with me but had gotten pretty banged up in the process. I dove in desperate to find that camera. My hand hit the cold metal at the bottom and I yanked it out. There it was my proof! My hands were shaking as I turned the screen on and I fumbled with the buttons. I had to scroll through a few of the older pictures before I found them, but finally I got to the pictures in the woods…

But wait a minute, this wasn't right. The first few pictures were just of trees and leaves. I scrolled further and saw a few of a deer standing in the woods, then a few pictures of me. Something was wrong, I saw these pictures that night; I knew that she was in them. I scrolled faster only to find myself hanging my arm out in mid-air where Lexi's shoulder should have been, pretending to bite the air where her neck had been. No, No, NO!

I lifted the camera above my head and slammed it to the floor watching it shatter. I grabbed my head in my hands and squeezed. For five hundred years I'd had a level head on my shoulders, but ever since I came here I've lost control. I couldn't keep doing this. I needed a break; A break from my friends, a break from this house, and a break from Mystic Falls.


	16. Chapter 15

**Fifteenth.**

I stayed locked in my room for two days. I knew that it was juvenile and that at any point Stefan or Damon could kick me out. By the second day I actually anticipated that, but it never came. I didn't hear much movement around the house, the occasional door opening or closing, a bottle of alcohol being poured, but aside from that there was nothing. I cut myself off completely, no food, no drink, no TV and no phone. I needed time alone to make some sense of what had gone on out in the woods, but understanding was completely out of my reach.

I regretted throwing the camera almost instantly and spent half of the night cleaning it up. Most of the shards were unrecognizable plastic and metal. I never found the photo card, I figured it was probably sitting in the trashcan somewhere amongst the pile of pieces that had once been one of my more favored possessions. I deserved to lose them for acting the way that I was. I had used my feet to scan the floor for any extra shards, letting the pieces cut into my skin. I knew that I'd have to now mop the floor but I let them bleed anyway, the pain a reminder of my foolish actions.

Late into the second night I was hungry enough to poke my head out of the room. The hallways were dark, illuminated only by the lights from the lower level. I took a few steps out and listened, I could hear both Stefan and Damon breathing rhythmically and deeply so I knew they were asleep. I slipped out through the doorway and over to the banister. I looked down into the deserted hallway with its dim lights casting a glow on the floor. Satisfied that I was the only one awake I quickly descended the stairway and headed for the kitchen.

The fridge was usually pretty bare, a few doggy bags from The Grille and various bottles of alcohol, but that was about it. I opened the door hoping to find some of the bottles of blood that I knew Stefan was stockpiling. Thankfully there was one left, that would save me a trip to the basement. In truth I probably would have gone to bed hungry before I would walk back down there again. I stood in the light from inside the fridge and took a few sips. Closing the door I turned to exit the kitchen as the overhead light suddenly illuminated. Startled I jumped back and dropped the open bottle which hit the floor at an angle, splashing blood all over me, the fridge and the counter before coming to a rest on the floor where the rest of the contents spilled out.

Damon stood in the entranceway with his hand on the light switch. I sneered at him as I wiped blood from my arms and shirt. "Thanks a lot!" I shot at him bending down to pick up the bottle and trying to contain the spreading mess.

"My pleasure," he replied smirking at me. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence this evening? Finally decided to bust out of the cocoon?"

I grabbed some paper towels from the counter and attempted to soak up some of the mess. "What do you want Damon?"

"I don't want anything, your adoring fans on the other hand seem to be demanding your attention," he said to me in a slightly annoyed tone.

"What are you talking about?" I asked without looking up from the mountain of bloodstained towels in front of me.

"Your phone was ringing, incessantly."

"My phone is off and upstairs in my room," I told him as I stood, my hands full of soiled towels. I placed them in the trash can and started searching for another roll.

"I beg to differ," he says holding the phone out to me.

I snatched the phone out of his hand and he turned and walked out of the room. I stared down at the display that read "4 missed calls." That was impossible, I'd only been out of my room for a few minutes and I hadn't turned my phone on in days. I jabbed at the screen to see who was calling, but they were all listed as "unknown." Strange. I put the phone down on the counter, found some old rags and cleaned up the rest of the mess. I turned off the light and headed back up to my room. When I got there I found two cold bottles of blood on my bedside table. I peeked around to make sure I didn't have any unwelcome visitors before closing the door again.

I sat down on the bed and opened one of the bottles. It had definitely just come out of a cooler; sweat was forming on the outside of the bottle as I drank. I put the second one aside and looked at my phone again. All four calls were received in the same five minute period while I was out of the room. I shook my head and put it down on the table. I reached under the mattress and pulled out my journal. After only a few lines my phone started chirping. I picked it back up to see "one new voicemail" on the screen. I checked the missed calls again but there were no new ones. I put down my pen and sat up in the bed.

Tentatively I pushed the voicemail button and listened. "Well, my dear Katherine Ella-Norrah I see you haven't changed your number. Probably a wise move since it would have been a bother to have to learn a new one." My blood ran cold as Katherine's voice emanated from the device. "I understand that you might have lost something very special to you and that you'll probably want it back." What was she talking about? "Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting. Come and get it my girl." Before the phone cut out I heard a metallic thump and what sounded like a chain falling. I threw the phone across the bed and then horror enveloped me as I realized what she had been referring to.

I reached up to my neck, but it was gone. My ring and chain had fallen off and Katherine had somehow gotten her hands on them. I panicked and punched in Elena's number then realizing what time it was I hung up, stared at the phone for a minute and then turned it off. Think Norrah, think, when was the last time you remember having it on. I thought back a few days but then hit a wall made up of vervain and witch hazel. Before that, I had to remember before that. On the hillside, damn Norrah, relax and think! Did I have it that morning, I thought back trying to retrace my steps. Yes! I had tucked it into my shirt before we started to run, I felt it bounce against my skin with each step. I had it that morning, so it had to be here somewhere.

I started yanking the sheets off the bed frantically searching, taking each sheet and shaking it out violently, feeling in between the platform of the bed and the mattress, then flipping the mattress off the bed, narrowly missing Damon as he raced into the room and grabbed my hands. "What the hell is going on? Norrah, Stop! What's the matter?"

"My ring. She said she has my ring. I have to find it!" I rushed into the hallway scanning the carpets. Damon followed me out and tackled me against the wall.

"What ring? Who has it?" He asked me as I fought loosened my arms from his grasp.

"My Ring! My Ring!" I yelled back, "The one I wear on the chain, its gone."

"I don't know what ring you're talking about," he said as he slammed my arms back against the wall.

I took in a deep breath and pushed him off of me into a wooden beam and raced down the stairs. In the living room I started throwing couch cushions and knocking glasses off of the tables. I threw one right at Damon's bar set-up and took out three crystal decanters. I was in a complete frenzy as both Damon and Stefan came running down the stairs. I heard the front door fly open and Elena rushed over to the edge of the room, her mouth hanging open in shock as Damon crashed into me pinning me to the floor. I was hysterical but I'd lost the will to fight him. I was defeated and she had won.

"What happened," I heard Elena ask.

"I don't know," Stefan answered as he came down to help Damon get me up. "I heard some banging, saw Damon run and ran down after him."

I grabbed onto Damon as he helped me on to the couch and collapsed unto his arms. I was crying so hard that I was trembling. "She keeps saying something about a ring."

Elena walked cautiously into the room and sat on the couch across from us. "A ring? What ring?"

"Some ring she said she wears around her neck," Damon whispered loudly across the room.

"Oh my God," Elena said as she rose and crossed the room kneeling in front of me. Damon pushed me up off of his shoulder to look at her. "Norrah, what happened to the ring?"

"She has it," I croaked out. "Katherine has it."

Elena knew what I meant. She motioned to Stefan to step out of earshot with her. "We have to get that ring back from her and fast."

"First you have to tell me what the big deal is about a ring."

"It was Katherine's mother's wedding band," she explained to him. "When she handed Norrah off to Katherine's father she tucked the ring unto the blanket with her. When Norrah's mother found it in the sheet she knew it was meant for Norrah and she saved it for her. She's been wearing it around her neck for over five hundred years. That ring is all she has left of her humanity."

"So what does Katherine want with it?" He asked.

Elena looked into the room to make sure we couldn't hear her and pulled him a few feet further away. "It's not just a ring. Bonnie says it's a powerful talisman. It's how they were able to get Norrah out of the cabin. Katherine must know what it is and now she's using it to get Norrah to come after her."

"We'll take care of it," he told her as he motioned to Damon. "You two stay put and call Caroline and Bonnie to come stay with you. I don't want you alone in case she comes here looking for you."

Damon helped me up to my feet and handed me over to Elena. "Go up to my room, lock the door and stay there," he demanded as he grabbed his coat and they took off into the night.


	17. Chapter 16

**Sixteenth.**

Bonnie and Caroline were at the house fifteen minutes later and we were all holed up in Damon's room. My head was spinning. I thought back to the day that my mother presented me with the ring, the feel of the ribbon as I untied the bow, the soft fabric it had been folded up in. She had told me that it wasn't really from her, but I still considered it her gift to me. She didn't have to give it to me after all, especially not after my father told her the truth about my birth. Now I felt as if I had lost the last piece of her, the one possession that I had kept with me throughout my life.

The girls tried to keep my mind off of it. They started asking me about my childhood, growing up in Bulgaria and England. I told them about the farm, at least what I could remember of it, and about my father. I told them about our luck finding the little cottage in southern England and starting our lives over after my father's death, how we managed to survive without the internet and cell phones, cars and electricity, credit cards and shopping malls. Life was so much more simple back then, but it was hardly boring. I'd give up all of these modern luxuries to go back, even just for a day.

We watched as the morning light filtered in through the windows. I had thought that the boys would have been back by now. With each moment that went by my anxiety mounted. We all waited and listened for the front door to swing open downstairs. After a few hours we were all getting antsy, hungry and a bit cranky from having been up so early. By noon the walls seemed to be closing in on us and we all agreed that it would be safe to go downstairs as long as we stayed together. We all walked down to the living room, grabbed the couch cushions that were still scattered around and sat in front of the hearth.

Caroline stood after a few minutes, walked to the back of the couch and held up one of the few bottles of alcohol that had survived my tirade. "Who's in?" she asked us shaking the liquid around.

"Me," I told her without wasting time to think about it. My nerves were raw and needed the numbing comfort that only Whiskey could bring.

"Me too," Elena quickly answered, clearly needing a distraction as well.

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked.

"No thanks," she replied shaking her head. "I am hungry though. Maybe I should run out and get us some food."

"Maybe delivery would be a better idea," Elena countered. "I think it would be better if we stick together." We all agreed that was probably a good idea. Caroline got out her phone and called while Elena and Bonnie went in search of some plates and napkins.

When she hung up the phone I worked up the nerve to ask her something that had been haunting me. "So is it true that you were with me when I was finally able to open my eyes?" I asked Caroline after the girls were out of earshot.

"Yeah, you were crying so I held your hand," she told me. "I wasn't really sure what to say so I just told you to open your eyes. I was afraid that after getting all of that vervain at once you might not ever open them again. It was my fault you know, I was the one who gave it to you."

"I know," I confessed, "Elena told me. She looked away from me ashamed.

"I thought we were helping, but then when you didn't wake up…" she trailed off, guilt and shame reflected in her words as well as her tone.

"Caroline," I said as I reached for her arm, "thank you."

She looked back at me with surprise. "Thank me for what? I could have killed you. Well, maybe not killed you, but done some serious damage."

"I know, but you didn't," I reminded her. "When you took my hand and whispered encouragement in my ear, it was the first time I really thought that if I concentrated and tired as hard as I could, that I might just do it. When I opened my eyes, I thought you were someone else."

"Lexi?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "She was the only one who has ever known how to comfort me like that, to bring me back from a dark place. Everyone always tries to force smiles, hug, and tell me it will all be okay, when all I really need is someone to take my hand and let me know that I'm not alone. So thank you."

She smiled over at me. "Stefan talks about her sometimes. He even told me once that I reminded him of her. I'm sorry I never had the chance to meet her, and I'm sorry I wasn't who you were expecting."

"I'm not," I told her, "If I ever see Lexi again I'm going to kick her ass for leaving me all alone in those woods. If you had been her I wouldn't have had the strength." I smiled back.

"So sorry to interrupt, but I believe I have something that belongs to you." Both of our heads whipped around to see Katherine standing in the open doorway, my ring dangling from its chain in her hand. Caroline reacted immediately, rushing at her, fangs barred, but she was stopped short when Katherine sprayed her in the face with vervain. "Little trick I picked up from a wolf a few years back," she said about the little spray bottle as she walked in a few steps, "handy." Caroline was writhing on the floor and I rushed over to help her but was stopped before I made it up the steps when she held the bottle up to me. "Trust me, this will hurt you a lot more than it does her."

As Caroline rose another woman entered through the doorway glancing over at her and Caroline grabbed her head and dropped back to her knees, screaming out in pain. Elena and Bonnie came running back in from the kitchen; I tried to warn them to stay back but Katherine had heard them. She lifted an eyebrow and descended on them in a flash. The woman who stood in the doorway left Caroline in a heap, and with a sweep of her hand she threw Bonnie up against the wall. She had to be the witch who had helped Katherine trap me in the cabin. Katherine grabbed Elena who struggled against her grip and I rushed at her, but she picked Elena up and ran around to the living room. "So, she said as she glared at me. What do you say? Either you come with me or I kill Elena, then the witch and vampire Barbie while you watch."

"No," I shouted without even thinking. "Let her go, leave them alone, I'll come with you." Elena's face twisted in pain as Katherine tightened her grip and smirked. She glared up at me as she spoke to Elena, her face right next to Elena's ear. "Looks like you've been spared again, but just know that one day there won't be anyone around to save you." With that she threw Elena's arms down against her back and ran at me. I tried to shield myself, but the witch had bound my hands to my sides. "That was possibly the stupidest decision you have ever made." I felt a set of hands grab my head from behind as Elena, Bonnie and Caroline looked on helplessly. I felt the twist and heard the crack, and then...


	18. Chapter 17

**Seventeenth.**

I woke up a short time later in darkness. My neck was sore but the rest of my body was numb, like it wasn't even there. I remembered what had happened in the boarding house and knew that I was no longer in the confines of its walls. I concentrated and soon felt the bones in the back of my neck migrating back to their rightful positions. My body started to tingle as the feeling crept back slowly starting in my shoulders and moving down my body until I could feel my toes. I moved my head cautiously from side to side wondering how it was that I was not dead. Of course! It wasn't Katherine who snapped my neck, it must have been her witch and I couldn't die at her hand. Brilliant! I had to give Katherine credit for her attention to detail.

Once I was assured that I could move around again I flipped over onto my back. I could tell that I was in a car and that we were moving at a good clip. I heard other cars racing past so I assumed that we were on a highway of some kind, I put my hands up and felt the metal of the trunk above me. At the rate we were traveling there was no safe way to escape. I punched at the trunk leaving a rather sizable dent in the metal. I would just have to wait until we arrived at our destination.

It was nightfall before the car slowed to a stop. I heard two people get out of the car and footsteps as they came around to the rear. I heard a key get inserted into the lock, but before it was turned to release the hood Katherine's voice cut through the darkness. "Blind her," I heard her say to the woman she was with. What? Blind me. What was she talking about? I heard the woman 's voice uttering unrecognizable words and suddenly I became aware of the change in my vision. I was in the dark already, but this was different. It wasn't like being in a dark room or closing your eyes, this was a complete loss of any visual and spacial awareness; my eyes were open, moving around frantically but there was no light breaking through, no shadows, no visual cues to alert me to my whereabouts, just a dull gray void.

I heard the key turn and the trunk pop open and my eyes instinctively turned towards the women but with nothing to focus on they kept drifting back to a central point. "Get out," I heard Katherine say to me as she grabbed my arms and pulled. I landed on the ground on my butt stunned and disoriented. Both women helped to pull me up to my feet and then one held a cloth up to my mouth and nose. I tried to swat it away but was quickly thwarted and warned that perhaps in my current state I should just accept what was going on without interfering, unless, of course, I wished to be in excruciating pain.

They led me up a set of wooden stairs and into a house. As soon as the door closed the cloth was removed from my face and I could breathe freely. I was led into a room and seated on a couch before I heard the witch mumble incoherently again and my sight was restored. I found myself in a simply decorated parlor, the sweet smell of apple blossoms floating in the air around me. There was a moderately sized fireplace against a wall with a beautifully carved mantle that mirrored the crown molding at the ceiling and the chair rail that encircled the room. The furniture practically dripped with antiquity.

Katherine sat in a large red velvet wing back chair across the room. "So what are you planning to do this time?" I asked her pointedly, "are you going to seal me in another house and leave me to desiccate? Why don't you make it more painful this time, douse me in gasoline and light a match, or better yet have your witch do it for you, that way I won't die, I'll merely writhe around in pain while you go back to Mystic Falls and destroy the lives of everyone I've met there. Hell, while you're at it you can use your wicked witch to help you channel Judy Garland and drop a house on me too." My voice rising with each word, I was shouting at her by the time I spat out the last few words, yet she remained in the chair smiling back at me as if she was enjoying this.

A moment of silence passed between us before she reached into the pocket of her jeans pulling out the chain that held my ring. "There's no seal on the house, you are free to leave whenever you like, but first I want you to tell me about this ring." It was all I could do not to lunge at her and snatch the ring back but I knew that the witch stood just outside the room to ensure that I didn't harm Katherine. I could hear her breathing.

"What about it?" I asked her just wanting this inquisition to run its course so that I could have my ring back and leave.

"It was my mother's so I was wondering how it is that you came to own it. My family never knew what became of you after you were taken from me so I'd like to know how it made its way into your hands."

"My mother gave it to me," I told her. "She said that it had been folded into the sheet with me before I was taken away. She found it that same night and assumed it had been from you. When I turned nine she gave it to me and I've had it ever since."

"Your mother? You mean that silly English woman who gave her life just to tell you that your father was a liar, who I really was and that I might just still be alive?" she asked me as if she didn't know. "Such a pity that she died so young. Waste of a life if you ask me."

Katherine was walking on very shaky ground talking about my parents that way. I could sense the witch tense up in the anticipation of a fight. I knew that was the reaction Katherine was hoping to elicit from me, but I refused to comply, biting back the rage that burned inside me. "You're one to talk you know," I shot back at her, "getting knocked-up at fifteen and giving birth to an illegitimate child in your family home." She reacted to that, very slightly, but a reaction nonetheless, though she remained seated holding my necklace I her hand.

"I want you to tell me how it works and what it is capable of," She said to me.

"I don't know what you are talking about, how what works?" I asked her keeping my eyes on the ring.

"Don't play dumb with me," she told me, "I know that you know how powerful this ring is. It's what got you out of that cabin, isn't it?"

I ignored her question and countered with one of my own. "Where did you get it? I never take that chain off."

"I found it in the woods," she replied, "out by Seven Hills. It was just sitting there on the ground. You know you really should be careful with your possessions, you wouldn't want them falling into the wrong hands." She smiled back at me lifting her eyebrows. I took it as a challenge and rose to my feet. She held up a finger towards me. "Think before you act Ella-Norrah, we don't need a repeat of our last encounter," she warned me as the witch took a few steps into the room. I looked over at her and backed down.

"Now, tell us how it works," she demanded again. "We've tried almost everything we can think of but so far we've had no luck, so tell us what you did to awaken the magic it holds."

"I don't know," I told her stubbornly. "It started to glow and suddenly I could walk out through the seal." She stared back at me hard.

"You're lying," she accused me. Magic doesn't just work on its own, something needs to trigger it."

"Well, maybe it just doesn't like you," I retorted smugly, "I'm sure that's a reaction that you are used to." She narrowed her eyes and then stood, crossing the room to where I sat on the couch. She held the chain out to me and dropped it into my open palm. I closed my fingers over it possessively.

"You don't want to tell me, fine, we'll just wait it out," she said to me. "If it's really as powerful as the legend says that it is it won't be long before it reveals itself to you again," and with that she crossed parlor and exited the room, the witch following close behind her.

I ran for the door but as I grasped the handle a light outside of the house suddenly flickered on. I stared out of the window in the door in disbelief, she had tricked me. As I gazed out at the yard surrounding the house I found myself looking at thousands of purple flowering plants, vervain. The plants stretched out for a mile or more in each direction, the wind picking up and ensuring the air would be full of pollen. If I tried to leave the house I would be overwhelmed and probably wouldn't get more than a few feet past the porch. I raced through the house to the door at the back of the kitchen but found the same scene, vervain as far as the eye could see.

I looked out into the hallway where the women stood at the foot of the stairs. "Go ahead," Katherine challenged me, "I'm curious to see how far you would get before it took you down." I looked back out the door trying to figure out how I was going to get out of here. The cloth only worked because it was a quick walk up and into the house, it wouldn't help me for any real distance. I wouldn't be able to hold my breath while I ran, and even if I could there was no telling how deep into the field I would be before I needed some air. "Oh," she called from the stairway, "and this time it's not an illusion. The only reason you are breathing freely in here is the air filtration system that I had installed. It would only take one flip of a switch to shut it down so I suggest you don't try anything foolish. The only one that you will be hurting is yourself." She ascended the staircase, walked into a room and closed the door behind her, the witch did the same.

I sat down at the kitchen table and put my head down on my arms. I knew that I was defeated this time. There was no way to get out of this house without causing myself great bodily harm. I sat there thinking for the better part of an hour, but there was no good answer to this quandary. I stood up in the dark kitchen and realized that my hand was still tightly clenched over my ring. It shone in the light of the full moon as I rolled it between my thumb and forefinger, the familiar feeling comforting. I looked out at the stars, we must not have been close to any major cities, I thought, the sky was bursting with glitter. I thought about those nights in the field with my father gazing up at these same stars, never even considering that I would still be here more than five hundred years later still looking to them for comfort.

I sighed and walked back to the parlor. My body felt tired but my brain was too unsettled to sleep. I wouldn't take the chance with Katherine right upstairs. I pulled the pocket doors to the parlor closed and sat back down on the couch. I looked down at my chain realizing that it wasn't the one that I'd had before, this one was shiny and the clasp looked new. Katherine had replaced my old one. I couldn't help but think that it had been more for her than for me. It's a shame she wasted her money before she knew that the ring didn't even work anymore.

I reached my hands behind my head and clasped the two ends together, looking down at the ring. I rubbed it between my fingers and then kissed it before tucking it under my shirt. I looked up and across the room and there sitting in the wingback chair was Lexi. I jumped to my feet and stared at her. "So is it safe to assume that you can see me again?" She asked.


	19. Chapter 18

**Eighteenth.**

"Ale…" I started to say but she jumped up and covered my mouth. She removed her hand put her finger to her lips and pointed up.

"Shh," she told me, "she can't hear me but she can hear you loud and clear." I threw up my hands at her. She tilted her head at me and smiled, "Looks like I'm finally going to have a chance to get the last word," she teased. "Where's your phone?" I let out an exasperated breath. I was kidnapped, I hadn't exactly had a chance to pack my things. "It's here somewhere Norrah, it was in your pocket earlier." I looked at her with a question in my eyes. "Just because you couldn't see me doesn't mean that I wasn't here."

I looked around the room and saw nothing. It must have fallen out of my pocket in the trunk. "Hold on," she said" I'll be right back," and then she disappeared. I looked around the room but she was gone. Then suddenly she reappeared holding my phone in her hand. "It was in the trunk," she smirked as if she had thought of that herself. I hit the button and the welcome screen lit up. No service, of course there wasn't, why would Katherine bring me somewhere where I could call for help. "Lexi bent down and looked at me over the phone. "You don't need service, just open a text message and we can talk that way."

Right, of course we can. I opened a new page and typed in a message complete with a few choice four letter words to start off. She read it over my shoulder and laughed. "Well, why don't you tell me how you really feel. It's not my fault that you got caught you know."

'What are you talking about?' I typed in as fast as I could, 'you took off and left me and the next thing I know I am blindsided, blindfolded and drugged, then I wake up a few days later back in the boarding house.'

"What?" she asked me innocently, "I didn't leave you. I got about two hundred yards ahead of you and then realized you weren't behind me anymore. I turned around and see you running around the hills calling my name. I was right in front of you waving around like crazy, trying to get your attention because I knew they were coming. Why would you think I left you?"

'One minute you were there, the next you were gone.' I typed in furiously, 'what was I supposed to think?'

"You were supposed to think that your necklace fell off, run back and gotten it and then caught up to me."

'What does one have to do with the other?" I was getting frustrated feeling like we were going around in circles.

"Norrah, the ring." I stared back at her blankly. She sighed, "I figured it out when all of the sudden you couldn't see me anymore. I saw that your necklace wasn't around your neck while I was trying to get your attention. That ring is a very powerful talisman. You triggered it's magic with your desire to escape that cabin. It was spelled specifically for you so it won't work for anyone else. The magic it holds could only be activated in dire circumstances."

'Like starving and rotting in that cabin,' I typed in slowly.

"Exactly," she told me, "and that is why you can see me now. As long as you have the ring on and you have a desire to see me you will. You just have to be careful."

'What do you mean?' I asked.

"Katherine isn't the only one looking for that ring."

'Who else is looking for it? Am I in danger?' I typed in response."

"Shh," she put her finger up to her mouth again. "Quick, turn that off, someone's coming."

I hit the standby button and the screen went blank. I sat in silence as we listened to someone coming down the stairs. I could tell by the somewhat bouncy steps that it was the witch. We sat and listened as she made her way into the kitchen. "I'm going to go talk to her," I whispered to Lexi.

"Are you crazy, she can take you down with one good stare?" she responded.

"She can't kill me and I'm sure she has pretty strict instructions not to hurt me. Katherine knows that I have to be able to concentrate to heal so what's the worst that can happen?"

"You of all people dare to ask that question." She says as she follows me out of the room and we walk silently down the hall. "This isn't a good idea Norrah, I don't have a good feeling about this." She reached out and took my arm, but I shook her off.

Dull light shone into the hallway from the kitchen and I could hear the faucet running. I stepped into the entranceway and stopped. The witch, obviously sensing my presence took a deep breath in, slowly turned off the faucet and spun around to face me. She sized me up trying to figure out what I wanted. "Why are you doing this?" I asked her quietly. "Do you know what Katherine is, how dangerous she is?" Lexi was desperately trying to quiet me down, looking up at the ceiling, worry written all over her face. I ignored her warnings.

"We haven't officially met yet," she says to me, "I'm Maude." She extends her right hand.

"Charmed," I say without reciprocating. "I'm sure that you already know who I am."

"Ella-Norrah Christian, or, to be more accurate, Katherine Ella-Norrah Christova, daughter of Branimir Christova and Ellanor Madison, born in 1490, bastard offspring of Katerina Petrova, aka. Katherine Pierce." She spouted off to me as if it were the first time I had heard it. "Of course I know who you are, after all, you are the only one who has ever survived."

I admit that the last part shocked me a little, "what do you know about that?" I asked her. It was less of a challenge and more of a curiosity. I was not aware that anyone besides Katherine and my friends in Mystic Falls knew what I was.

"I know that Katherine turned you five hundred years ago and I know that neither of you should have survived the turn. What I don't know is how she did it."

"I see, and you think that by helping her it might make her more likely to tell you?"

"No, I don't," she replied. "I don't think that Katherine is going to tell me anything, but I think you might."

Lexi was actively trying to remove me from the room by now but I held my ground. "And just what makes you think that I would tell you that?" I asked her, very intrigued by now.

She paused for a moment and listened for Katherine. Hearing nothing she took a step closer to me and lowered her voice. "I know that you are a Unique, and I've spent enough time with Katherine to know that you don't just heal like a normal vampire."

"Are you threatening me?" I asked her, "because I could be over there in a microsecond and snap your neck just like you did mine."

"You could, but from what I've seen you aren't really the violent type which I can only assume was a trait of your father's because Katherine acts first and asks questions later. I'm not really afraid of a Super supernatural being who can't even keep herself from being caught by the Salvatore's and a newborn."

I had had enough, I felt my face transform and my fangs descend. I'll give her something to be afraid of I thought as I started towards her. Before I was able to take two steps a pain in my head took me down to my knees. She stared down at me as my brain threatened to explode out of my skull. Lexi stood next to me, helpless. I cried out, saw a flash and a blur and then the pain stopped. I looked up to the sky, my vision spinning but I was able to concentrate just enough. When the room finally stilled itself I looked over to see Katherine holding a bloody heart in her hand and Maude's lifeless body on the floor, a large gaping hole in her chest.


	20. Final

**Final.**

She dropped the heart next to the body on the floor and went about cleaning her hand. I couldn't peel my eyes away from Maude's body on the floor. Lexi was begging me to get out of there but I was frozen in place. She gave up trying to convince me and pushed me from behind sending me flying into the table. Katherine whipped around at the commotion and looked at me for a moment as she worked it out in her head. "I see we have company," she said as she rushed over at me, grabbing my arms and holding them behind my back. "Still seeing ghosts are we?" she said right into my ear. "So, what does that little bitch think about the mess you've gotten yourself into this time?"

There had been very few people in my life that I would have given anything for, I would have died for had I the chance. Katherine had already berated my parents and now she was going after Lexi. I wasn't going to allow her to talk that way about the people I loved. In one smooth motion I twisted out of her grasp and ran for the opposite side of the room. "Is she here now?" Katherine continued to taunt me. "It must be killing her that she can't help you." My eyes flickered over to Lexi who stood by the sink a few feet away from me.

"Don't listen to her Norrah, she's just antagonizing you."

"She is here isn't she? Well tell the wench to come out and play." Katherine said raising her voice to be sure that Lexi heard her.

"Okay, ignore what I said," Lexi told me. "Just kill the bitch."

I reached out for the closest chair, lifted it and shattered it over the table leaving me with a rather sharp chunk of one of its legs. "Go ahead," Katherine challenged me, "kill me, but remember that I'll drag you down with me. Is that really how you want to spend eternity, chained to me in hell? It's going to be hard to find your precious Maddie down there, don't you think."

I was stunned, despite everything Katherine had done to me she had never brought my daughter into it. My vision went white with rage as I charged at her, catching her arm and twisting it behind her back. I grabbed her other arm and held them together with one hand as I raised the stake over her heart with the other. "You heinous uncaring bitch." I said into her ear as she struggled against me. I lifted the stake an inch or so higher, determined to pierce through her heart in one quick motion.

"Uncaring? Everything that I have done for you I've done because I cared," she said to me. Her words were surprising and obviously a ploy to avoid being staked. "How could you think that I don't care?" I loosened my grip for a split second, just long enough for her to twist out of my hands. I had her cornered though, she was up against the wall trying to pop her dislocated shoulder back into place.

"You've never cared about me," I yelled at her. "You stole my life! You killed my parents, compelled my husband and robbed me of the opportunity to be a mother to my child." Tears of pent up rage were spilling down my cheeks. I had waited more than five hundred years for this very moment and I wasn't going to let it slip away from me. She had both of her hands out in front of her, clearly aware that I wasn't playing games and that I had every intention to kill her.

"You really believe that, don't you?" she asked. "I didn't risk my life to turn you just to ruin yours. I did it to save you."

"To save me from what? A peaceful life in the English countryside with my family? How was that a threat to you? Why couldn't you have just gone away and left me alone?" I started to lower the stake as rage started transitioning to despair, my tears falling two and three at a time now. "I had a beautiful life, and little by little you chipped away at it until the final blow when you killed and turned me."

"You have no idea how much danger you were in. You were living in vampire country. You were being targeted left and right. I did what I could to kill them off, but there were too many. I turned you so that they wouldn't kill you and your whole family. If something had happened to your daughter then our family line really would have ended." She glared at me while she said it.

"So I am supposed to believe that you killed my parents and compelled a man to love because you were concerned for my well-being?"

"I killed your parents because they were consorting with the vampires. They didn't know what their friends and neighbors were. I couldn't let them allow those people to find you. As for your dolt of a husband I needed someone who knew about the vampires and was strong enough, and possibly stupid enough, to defend you if they tried to attack After you were married I went about trying to figure out how I could turn you. I didn't trust anyone else to do it. Do you think I would have gone to all of that trouble for someone I didn't care about?"

My head was reeling and I had no idea if she was telling the truth or just trying to spare her life. "Then why the charade," I probed her, "why have you gone out of your way to make me suffer?"

"I don't know if you are aware of this but there are very few ways of restraining you," she told me. "I wanted to get you away from the Salvatore's, away from Mystic Falls. They aren't going to be able to save you if the Originals find you there."

"And you don't want them to find me because you don't know whether or not they would be able to kill me. That was the only scenario that you couldn't replicate when you were testing your theory. So once again you were only thinking about yourself."

I raised the stake again preparing to strike. She was lying, trying to save herself. "I knew that you were going to be a girl, I even had a name picked out for you." She told me.

"What?" I asked her. "Why would you do that?"

She looked at me puzzled, "I don't know how you could even ask that. I was devastated when they took you from me. I knew that I couldn't keep you but I never imagined that I wouldn't even be able to see you, to hold you for a few minutes. I didn't get to see you until you were almost three years old when I tracked down your father."

I dropped the stake as I considered what she said. "Anelia," she said to me, "that was the name, Anelia Elisaveta Petrova."

"So you never asked my father to name me after you?" I asked.

"I never even talked to him after that one night," she told me. "If my father ever found out who was responsible for that I don't know what he would have done to him, or what would have become of you."

I backed up slowly to let her out of the corner. I looked around the room and realized that Lexi was nowhere to be seen. I was speechless, Katherine had just answered all of the questions that had plagued me my whole life. I thought that I was prepared to hear what she had to say but I had never imagined that she had done it out of concern for me. That was the last thing I would have expected her to say. Where was Lexi? My mind was racing, thoughts all tangling together.

"Uh-oh," Katherine said behind me bringing me back to the present, "sounds like we've got company." I listened as a car engine idled and the doors of a car opened. Katherine grabbed me from behind.

"Oww, what are you doing?" I asked her, surprised by her roughness.

"Just play along," she instructed, "we'll need them to think that I just killed the witch and they got her just in time to save you." She pushed me into the hallway and her face turned. She tilted my head to the side as two sets of footsteps thundered up the porch steps and the door flung open. She started speaking before they had crossed the threshold, loudly to be sure that they heard her. "Goodbye my girl, we will meet again in another lifetime." She raised her head as if to strike.

"Damon," I reached out my free hand and yelled out as she plunged her fangs into my neck. I wasn't prepared for her to actually do it so my reaction was genuine, the pain on my face was real." She withdrew her fangs as Stefan entered and Damon ran to us, pushing me forward to slow him down as she escaped out the back. Damon caught me before I hit the floor, he stood me up and held me close, cradling my head in his hand. Stefan ran up beside us.

"I'm going after her," Stefan said as he started towards the back door.

"No," I twisted out of Damon's grasp and ran to the door, blocking Stefan's path. "Please," I said to them, "just let her go. I want this to be over, I just want to go home." They exchanged glances with one another. "Please." I begged them. I took a step toward them and then started to collapse again. Damon broke my fall again and Stefan helped him to walk me to the door. "Wait," I said to them, "my phone." I broke free from their grasp and stepped into the parlor, my phone was still on the couch. I picked it up as the screen lit up. A text message, but I had no reception. I touched the screen and it flashed on the screen.

"Text Message from Alexia – You needed to do that on your own. Don't worry, I'm still here, I promise that I haven't left you. I'll be waiting in Mystic Falls." Damon stuck his head in the room as I turned the phone off.

"You coming?" he asked me.

"Yeah, let's go." I grabbed the cloth that was balled up next to the door, held it to my face and ran to the car. As we pulled away from the house I looked back watching it disappear behind me. I took a deep breath and blew it out. I was safe again…for now.


End file.
